Dad sends son to school he claims he would be bullied at. AITA?
When this father doesn't know if he made the right schooling decision for his son, he asks Reddit:
"WIBTA for sending my son to a school he claims he would be bullied?"
My son is currently in middle school and I really wanted to send him to a private school where I heard that it offers good academic opportunities like a lot of AP and honors courses, and a lot of alumni go on to become successful people (doctors, engineers, business managers, etc).
Even though the private school is considered one of the best in the area, my son claimed that due to the fact many students at that private school come from his middle school and he was bullied wildly at middle school, he would be bullied once he enters the private school.
My son even claimed that some of his bullies are either students or will be students at that school, making him not wanna go.
Even though my son did not want to attend either the local high school or the private school I suggested him due to the fact he has an irrational fear that he would be bullied, he wanted to attend a school slightly more expensive but has better academics and better success rates.
Even though I do have the money and the means to send him to the school, I kept on claiming to my son that it is too expensive and I don't want to do it. I keep on telling my son that the school is good and that "My wife and I would stand up and defend you from the bullies".
He claimed that it didn't work because at middle school, we tried to stand up against the bullies and he claimed that the principal still condoned the bullies and he was still nonetheless bullied.
I just don't even know what to do anyways. From what I heard, the private school is very good and I really wanted to send my son there knowing he will get a good education. My son kept on accusing me of being a bad father and my wife being a bad mother even though we were trying our best and this private school is clearly a good school. AITA?
Let's see what readers thought.
shrin33 writes:
YTA. You're dismissing him and deciding what is in HIS best interests for his schooling and future when you don't know better. Going to an "elite" school won't do shit if he's being bullied.
Do you know how that can effect someone? He can turn out completely different than what you want when he's being bullied. A good GPA from a private school won't do shit to help that.
By the look of your responses, you clearly don't know what your son is going through because you clearly weren't bullied at his age. To the looks of it, you were probably a bully yourself. You're just adding another bully to his list... yourself.
YTA Instead of caring more about the prestige of sending your son to this school because of how it'll make you look, care more about your own son.
School isn't everything when you're messed up by being bullied all through Elementary and High School. He feels alone, unheard, undefended...etc. by being bullied. He needs you to listen to him and support him the way that HE asks.
grumptaters0 writes:
NTA. I think you’re not intentionally trying to harm your son. But as many have stated you should believe him if he says he’s going to be bullied. Regardless of how much or little you know about the bullying whatever happened to him was twice at worst because the schools only report what gets caught.
If you can afford it why not think if it as you buying your son peace of mind. You said you care about his future and having a good career but if his self confidence is blown now it’s going to be hard for him to be the future CEO you see him as.